"Allen, Grant - Miss Cayley's Adventures 03 - The Adenture of the Inquisitive American" - читать интересную книгу автора (Allen Grant)

turned by rain to runnels. At half a mile, after a
desperate struggle among sand and pebbles, I passed the
second man; just ahead, the Prussian officer looked round
and saw me. 'Thunder-weather! you there, Englanderin?' he
cried, darting me a look of unchivalrous dislike, such as
only your sentimental German can cast at a woman.

'Yes, I am here, behind you, Herr Lieutenant, I answered,
putting on a spurt; 'and I hope next to be before you.'

He answered not a word, but worked his hardest. So did I.
He bent forward: I sat erect on my Manitou, pulling hard at
my handles. Now, my front wheel was upon him. It reached
his pedal. We were abreast. He had a narrow thread of
solid path, and he forced me into a runnel. Still I gained.
He swerved: I think he tried to foul me But the slope was
too steep; his attempt recoiled on himself; he ran against
the rock at the side and almost overbalanced. That second
lost him. I waved my hand as I sailed ahead. 'Good
morning,' I cried, gaily. 'See you again at Limburg!'

From the top of the slope I put my feet up and flew down
into Idstein. A thunder-shower burst: I was glad of the
cool of it. It laid the dust. I regained the high road.
From that moment, save for the risk of sideslips, 'twas easy
running--just an undulating line with occasional ups and
downs; but I saw no more of my pursuers till, twenty-two
kilometres farther on, I rattled on the cobble-paved
causeway into Limburg. I had covered the forty-six miles in
quick time for a mountain climb. As I crossed the bridge
over the Lahn, to my immense surprise, Mr. Hitchcock waved
his arms, all excitement, to greet me. He had taken the
train on from Eppstein, it seemed, and got there before me.
As I dismounted at the Cathedral, which was our appointed
end, and gave my badge to the soldier, he rushed up and
shook my hand. 'Fifty pounds!' he cried. 'Fifty pounds!
How's that for the great Anglo-Saxon race! And hooray for
the Manitou!'

The second man, the civilian, rode in, wet and draggled,
forty seconds later. As for the Herr Lieutenant, a
disappointed man, he fell out by the way, alleging a
puncture. I believe he was ashamed to admit the fact that
he had been beaten in open fight by the objurgated
Englanderin.

So the end of it was, I was now a woman of means, with
fifty pounds of my own to my credit.

I lunched with my backer royally at the best inn in